Onwuzurike, Akintola and Oghenebrume drawn in same NCAA 100m semifinal heat!
Ashe and Anunagba also drawn together as Nigerian sprinters eye collegiate history
The Nigerian trio of Udodi Onwuzurike, Alaba Akintola and Godson Oghenebrume have been drawn in the same semifinal heat at this weekend’s NCAA outdoor
championships in Austin, Texas.
As many as five Nigerian sprinters have qualified for the NCAA outdoor championships and will be seeking to become the first country outside the USA to have
as many as five qualify for the 100m final.
At least one of the trio of Onwuzurike, Akintola and Oghenebrume will have to secure qualification to the final via one of the three non-automatic
qualification slots on offer after being drawn in the third and final semifinal heat.
There are just two automatic qualification slots available in each of the three semifinals.
There is no Nigerian drawn in the first semifinal heat while Favour Ashe and Karlington Anunagba will battle for the two automatic qualification slots
with six others in the second semifinal.
Ashe, silver medalist in the championships on his debut last season qualified for the 2023 edition after running a wind aided 9.92 to win his heat at the
NCAA Division I East First Rounds in Jacksonville, Florida last weekend.
At the same competition, Oghenebrume scorched to a wind-aided 9.94 to also win his heat and book his trip to Austin, Texas for this weekend’s championships.
Onwuzurike was equally impressive, running a wind legal 9.92 to secure his qualification at the PAC 12 championships while the duo of Akintola and Anunagba punched their tickets at the NCAA Division I West First Rounds in Sacramento, California.
